someone please help me! when i put my car in reverse, it seems like it's slipping. shuddering almost like the abs is going off. if i step on the gas it goes away. it's a 05 GS300 and the factory warranty is up. i took it into a garage and all they did was change the trans fluid and add some kind of lubricant.

 

If it's an '05 how is the factory warranty up? Did you go over the miles?

 

Your reverse gears are shot... I had similar problem with Camry before...
Total cost was like almost 3 grand to get it repaired.. at the Toyota dealer...
I would think it's just better off getting a new tranny....

 

The fluid change had no effect at all?

 

Is it happening all the time or only when it is cold. It almost seems like a serging issue with the engine and not the trans. It should not go away when you press the gas, but get worse expecially if the trans was shot.

 

it's my first GS, just got it, used. yes, it's over the miles. the fluid change did absolutely nothing. is there an easy way to check if my trans is shot(something i can do on my own)?

 

how many miles do you have now?

 

Check the motor/transmission mounts if it is shuddering when the engine is still cold.

 

Looks like my lengthy reply to the above issue timed-out. Well, those on this forum may recall my complaint of the reverse gear "knock" when I backed from the home garage in late October 2007. The local Toyota shop flushed the ATF and the problem went away until last month, when the wife notice the "knock" now associated with drive gear. Last week, she got 100 yards from the house and there was a grinding noise from the transmission. Vehicle would not go into reverse when the shifter was in that position, but would freewheel when in neutral. Attempted to get the vehicle back home and got it across both lanes of my street;attempted to use neutral to freewheel backwards but now neutral was like Park. Went forward in drive 1 foot and tried neutral and was able to freewheel backwards from the curb. Tried Reverse Gear and it went "clunk" and engaged. Drove home and backed the vehicle in Reverse into the garage. More details on the next post.

There is a TSB 00504 on the RX300, relating to the 5 solenoids used in the U140E/U140F transmission. There is also a filed NHTSA number 10009396. NHTSA Office of Defective Investigations show 46 registered transmission complaints in the 1999 RX300 model year; 28 for 2000; and 13 for 2001. Contacted Lexus Customer Care in Torrance CA 1-800-255-3987 and had some good conversations with Jose Martinez, the LCC manager. We have been documenting the issues with this transmission since October 2007 and were advised after the problems last week that the local Toyota shop (Toyota Motor Works USA is the parent of Lexus USA, correct?) could not inspect the vehicle, rather we would need to (attempt) bring the RX over to Kendall Lexus of Eugene, some 125 miles and over a snowy mountain pass.

We drove 0.7 miles towards Eugene (ATF was cold) and notice a low frequency rumble from the transmission and vibrations similar to a slipping clutch; this was around 20 mph and the AT was shifting from Low to the next gear, I suspect). Stopped the RX and moved the shifter through the gears, and carefully got back up to driving speed and had no problems while nursing the RX over the pass to Eugene and the inspection.

Greg Z. is the Service Manager at Kendall Lexus and we commend his excellent assistance to us. We were offered a loaner RX350 at no cost and with a full tank of fuel...we will top it off on the return...and called the next day to report the same noise we had observed. They dropped the pan and found plenty of metal pieces, as if the transmission was eating itself alive.

We are now waiting to hear from Lexus Customer Service in Torrance to see just what is their offer, insofar as the transmission was within the 70,000 mile limit (66,000 miles when first noted in October 2007), BUT outside the 6 year warranty, which would have expired in 2006.

My suspicion is that in their efforts to increase the fuel economy with the U140E/U140F (2WD or AWD versions), the firmware, 5 solenoid switches, or 5-6 clutches do not make for a long-lived transmission. Maybe the often referenced unofficial 15,000 mile transmission fluid replacement is to keep the solenoid switches from sticking; perhaps a sticky solenoid causes other gear issues within the transmission, but all of this is supposition.

Thoroughly document your troubles in this issue and report both to your local Lexus Dealer Service Manager and to the Torrance HQ. You can email them directly at Lexus Customer Satisfaction [Customer_Satisfaction_Inquiries@lexus.com] and get an incident report generated.

Go to this link and file a complaint: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

I plan to update my NHTSA complaint this morning and will post back to this forum what I hear from Torrance and any support they can offer me. If you need an email contact for further details, here is mine: baileybc2007@gmail.com

 

Does anyone on this forum have the contact info for the President of Toyota Motor Sales, USA? If this is still Jim Press, what about a phone or email address? Typically Toyota email would look like jim_X_press@toyota.com, where the X is middle initial. Guess there are 26 chances of getting it correct. Press is now co-captain of Chrysler LLC.

Try this link or read below for the cast of Toyota management: http://www.reuters.com/article/press...08+PRN20080107

TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
(TMS) today announced the following executive appointments, effective
immediately:
With the recent retirement of Bob Pitts, following 36 years of
distinguished service, administrative services will now report to Tracey Doi,
group vice president & CFO.
Chris Hostetter, vice president of advanced product strategy and product
planning is promoted to group vice president of advanced product strategy and
product planning. Hostetter continues to report to Dave Danzer, group vice
president, corporate strategy and product planning.
Randy Pflughaupt, vice president of marketing, is promoted to group vice
president of marketing, Toyota Division. Pflughaupt continues to report to
Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager of the Toyota Division.
Bill Fay, vice president of sales, is promoted to group vice president,
sales administration, replacing Al Cabito. A distinguished 36-year veteran of
Toyota, Cabito elected to retire, effective January 2008. Fay reports to Don
Esmond, senior vice president of automotive operations.
Jim Colon, vice president of Lexus sales and dealer development, is
appointed vice president of sales, Toyota Division, replacing Fay. Colon
reports to Carter.
Brian Smith, corporate manager, marketing/SUV, is promoted to vice
president of Lexus sales and dealer development, replacing Colon. Smith will
report to Mark Templin, group vice president and general manager of the Lexus
Division.
Kevin Higgins, national sales and product planning manager, is promoted to
corporate manager, marketing/SUV, replacing Smith. Higgins reports to
Pflughaupt.
Mike Reding, vice president of corporate accessories, is appointed to the
new position of vice president, sales support and international operations,
with responsibility for Fleet/Toyota Rent a Car/Toyota Certified Used Vehicles
and international operations. Reding reports to Fay.
Elaine Matsuda, corporate manager of customer relations, is promoted to
vice president of corporate accessories, replacing Reding. Matsuda continues
to report to Jane Beseda, group vice president and general manager, customer
service division.
Nancy Fein, vice president of Lexus customer service, is appointed vice
president of customer relations, replacing Matsuda. Fein reports to Beseda.
Al Smith, corporate manager of Fleet/Toyota Rent a Car/Toyota Certified
Used Vehicles, is promoted to vice president of Lexus customer service,
replacing Fein. Smith reports to Templin.
Scott Heyer, national fleet sales and marketing manager, is promoted to
corporate manager of Fleet/Toyota Rent a Car/Toyota Certified Used Vehicles,
replacing Smith. Heyer reports to Reding.
Barbara Arnold, assistant general counsel, is promoted to vice president
of ethics, compliance, and enterprise risk management, with added
responsibility for environmental, health and safety, which currently reports
to administrative services. Arnold continues to report to Chris Reynolds,
vice president and general counsel.
Ginger Bauer, managing counsel, legal services group, is promoted to
corporate manager, assistant general counsel. Bauer assumes responsibility
for the business operations legal support group previously managed by Arnold.
Bauer reports to Reynolds.
Following a venerable 40-year career with Toyota, Dudley Hawley, TMS vice
president and president of AirFlite, has announced his desire to retire in
2008. Appointed TMS vice president and senior advisor of AirFlite, Hawley
continues to report to Bob Daly, group vice president of TMS.
Joe Williamson, corporate manager of vehicle logistics field operations,
is promoted to TMS vice president and president of AirFlite, replacing Hawley.
Williamson reports to Hawley until Hawley's retirement in 2008.
Mike Evans, national logistics manager, is promoted to corporate manager
of vehicle logistics field operations, replacing Williamson. Evans reports to
Alan DeCarr, group vice president and general manager of Toyota Logistics
Services.
Ben Mitchell, national manager of Lexus planning is promoted to corporate
manager of product planning for Lexus/Scion. Mitchell reports to Andrew
Coetzee, vice president of product planning.
Greg Lang, national operations manager for Mexico, is promoted to
corporate manager of product planning for Toyota Division and Mexico. Lang
reports to Coetzee.
Sandy Lobenstein, national manager of pricing & sales planning is promoted
to corporate manager, North American planning and pricing administration.
Lobenstein reports to Coetzee.
Zack Hicks, corporate manager, IS, is appointed corporate manager of
administrative services. Hicks reports to Tracey Doi, group vice president
and CFO.
Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and
customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles in the United States.
Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of
more than 1,400 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers. Toyota directly employees
over 33,000 people in the U.S. and sold more than 2.5 million vehicles in
2007.
For more information about our operations, please visit
www.toyota.com/,
www.lexus.com/, and www.scion.com/.
(Logo: here)
SOURCE Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.

Xavier Dominicis of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc., +1-310-468-5084,
Xavier_Dominicis@toyota.com

 

Mark Templin, group vice president and general manager of the Lexus
Division

Al Smith, corporate manager of Fleet/Toyota Rent a Car/Toyota Certified
Used Vehicles, is promoted to vice president of Lexus customer service,
replacing (Nancy) Fein.

So who does Mark Templin report to, ie. who is the CEO?

 

Jim Press moved over to Chrysler since last September. I forgot who the new President it.

 

Lexus Customer Care via the Service Department at Kendall Lexus in Eugene made us an offer this morning to pay for 50% of a transmission warranty service, replacing the failed RX300 transmission with a rebuilt unit. Kendall is willing to shave their profits on the replacement and our out-of-pocket cost will be $1,700.00, a long shot away from the estimated $4-5,000 if we were to not accept their offer. Lexus-Torrance will not say they know what is functionally wrong with the transmission, and insofar as the warranty has expired and we are the second owner, purchased the vehicle in 2001 with 12,000 miles on the ODO, it is unlikely we could negotiate for a better slice of the pie. In the interim, we get free use of the loaner RX350. We were advised that the RX330 or RX350 transmission could not be used as a replacement. I feel that the U140 transmission is problematic, hence wanted to explore any option of getting totally away from the hardware with an upgraded newer model transmission.

Hope that we don't find a need to post here in the future, but thanks for all the excellent advice everyone has provided. Mark in Bend Oregon baileybc2007@gmail.com

 

i currently have 56,300 miles on the car. i picked up the car with 56,120. i'm going to take the car back to where i got it from, and i want to be able to give them some suggestions on what's wrong. hopefully they'll pay for the entire repair. what will checking the motor/trans mounts tell me?